Introducing Oakland Freedom Project
Last month, Sugar Freedom Project members gathered at the 81st Street Library to collectively imagine–through stories and images–a vision of a thriving Oakland:
"Clean air without smog. Plant trees and have green areas. Clean homes without lead. Community schools with quality education. Healthy food from chemical-free crops. Peace and tranquility in families. No violence."—Mayra G.
"I imagine a world without borders, with equity in education, healthcare, and employment. Our streets are clean and safe, so we can play in the gardens where we plant and harvest our fruits and vegetables."—Maria L.P.
"Respect for every culture in each country of the world. Fair wages to cover rent and quality food. Free healthcare. Support for the elderly and mandatory education around the world. Help for homeless children. Clean air. Green spaces."—Maria R.P.
“Let us be free. We deserve to be heard. A united people. We want a free country. Let’s protect our children. We deserve a better world. Let’s change Oakland. The people united will never be defeated."—Yesenia U.
Sugar Freedom Project members’ visions for Oakland’s future went beyond survival and essential services–they detailed aspirations of a united, resilient community, flourishing with abundant support and resources for all of its people.
In 2017, In-Advance launched the Sugar Freedom Project and organized hundreds of East Oakland residents to hold the City accountable to the low-income Black and Brown communities most impacted by health inequity. Through past and present policy campaigns, community action research, personal and face-to-face outreach, house meetings, and popular political education, our mission has evolved to address systemic barriers to health beyond the soda tax policy and corporate sugar.
To honor this evolution, we would like to formally reintroduce ourselves as Oakland Freedom Project. While our name is changing, we are unwavering in our focus: organizing the historically disinvested flatlands of Oakland to realize our visions of equity, justice, and thriving neighborhoods.
Commemorating the launch of Oakland Freedom Project, our core members will be performing an original theater piece that they co-wrote and produced with Redwood City-based teatrista and Spadework alum Angel Santuario. Titled Sí Se Puede, the play follows a family in Oakland through their challenges and how they band together with their neighbors to build hope and work together toward a thriving future.
Stay tuned for details on the premiere of Sí Se Puede, and click here to learn more about Oakland Freedom Project's use of teatro as a tool for organizing.
